

Deconstructor of Fun
Deconstructor of Fun
Deconstructor of Fun podcast is created by games professionals for games professionals. We explore the business side of the games industry with the goal of bringing listeners content that is relevant, insightful, and entertaining on a weekly basis.
Hosts:
Michail Katkoff @mkatkoff www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/
Eric Kress @ekress
www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/
Laura Taranto @laurataranto www.linkedin.com/in/laurataranto/
Phillip Black @econosopher www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/
Jen Donahoe @Jen_Donahoe www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe
Hosts:
Michail Katkoff @mkatkoff www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/
Eric Kress @ekress
www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/
Laura Taranto @laurataranto www.linkedin.com/in/laurataranto/
Phillip Black @econosopher www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/
Jen Donahoe @Jen_Donahoe www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 7, 2021 • 56min
Growth Triggers #4 Mobile Games Marketing in 2021
Triggered growth is a segment focusing on all matters of growth. This podcast is insightful, entertaining, and highly opinionated. We call it how we see it.
In this episode, we discuss the most common misinformation regarding IDFA deprecation, the battle for the ownership of conversion events, how product and marketing teams will work together as one.
In addition, we'll discuss trends in creatives, ad spend, and ad monetization. Talk about the role of app store testing and player research. And of course hypothesize what the big three (Apple, Google, and Facebook) will look like in 2021.
Your hosts:
Michail Katkoff and Eric Seufert

Jan 5, 2021 • 1h 12min
TWIG #114: Happy New Years! | Best of 2020
Welcome to TWIG #114!
Today we cover the best and worst of 2020 in the Games Industry!
Hosts:
- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)
- Joe Kim (@jokim1)
- Eric Kress (@ekress)
- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)
As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!
LINKS:
Future of UA Mobile Marketing Conference (Free Signup): https://futureofua.splashthat.com/
Event will be held on 1/14/2021 (Thursday) at 10AM.
Everybody (PMs, Execs, and Marketers) sign up for this now!

Jan 2, 2021 • 46min
What do Successful Game Projects Have in Common?
The topics covered in the episode are:
What are the biggest differences in how the big companies and the indie ones build their games?
How to decide what the project is going to be balancing between data and intuition
How to choose the right monetization model for your game
How to drive sustainability through updates, new player acquisition, and reactivating lapsed ones
What are the main shifts in player behaviour post-2020:
Shoutout to the Googler Martin Svoboda who interviewed me

Dec 21, 2020 • 56min
2020 in Review Mirror - Trend Analysis and Forecasts with Sensor Tower & AppsFlyer
Which genres gained the most and which trailed behind? What were the effects of the lockdowns? What are the trends for user acquisition, in-app purchases, and in-app adds going into 20201? Which countries were overlooked?
guests:
Randy Nelson - head of mobile insights
Brian Murphy - head of gaming
Tim O'Neil - strategic account executive

Dec 18, 2020 • 1h 5min
Growth Triggers #3 IDFA Depreciation for the Product Leads
Growth Triggers is a segment focusing on all matters of growth. In this episode, we focus on;
How much info will I have about where the players are coming from post IDFA
what happens to a/b testing and offers?
What happens to soft-launching
Ad monetization?
LTV curve vs. LTV curves
Are fake ads done?
how can product teams help the marketing team?
Your hosts
Michail Katkoff and Eric Seufert

Dec 17, 2020 • 1h 1min
Game Industry M&A: Chris Petrovic (ex-Zynga SVP) on Keys to Success! Who's Next?
Chris Petrovic joined Zynga as SVP and Head of Corporate Strategy, M&A, and Business Development all the way back in March of 2016 when Zynga stock was $1.88.
Since Chris joined, basically ALL of Zynga's growth has come through mergers & acquisitions and helped drive increased share value to today's price of ~$8.70.
During his time at Zynga, Chris oversaw the acquisitions of: PuzzleSocial, Harpan, Gram Games, Small Giant, Peak Games and most recently Rollic Games.
Prior to Chris' involvement, Zynga had not been so successful at M&A.
- What were the changes made at Zynga to help increase success?
- What are key lessons learned and keys to success?
- What should game companies look for when doing acquisitions?
Speakers:
- Host: Joe Kim, CEO of LILA Games
- Host: Eric Kress, Principal of Gossamer Consulting
- Chris Petrovic, former SVP and Head of Corporate Strategy, M&A, and Business Development, Zynga

Dec 15, 2020 • 52min
TWIG #113: MTG Acquires Hutch, Wild Rift Expanding to Europe, Zynga's Rollic Acquires Onnect
Welcome to TWIG #113!
Today we cover:
#1. MTG acquires Hutch – a leading developer and publisher of mobile racing games
#2. League of Legends: Wild Rift expanded to Europe and other territories
#3. Zynga-owned Rollic acquires Onnect from dev Chef Game Studio for $6 million
Hosts:
- Joe Kim (@jokim1)
- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)
- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)
Guest Host:
- Eric Seufert (@eric_seufert)
As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!
LINKS:
Check out Eric's Blog: https://mobiledevmemo.com/
YouTube Videos Referenced:
- Multiplayer Netcode
- Product Implications of IDFA

Dec 14, 2020 • 1h 2min
Helsinki the Capital of Mobile Games
However you want to slice it or dice it, Helsinki is the best city in the World for mobile games companies.
What makes it unique is the ecosystem that has developed organically over the years. Founders help each other. There’s a strong drive for collaboration and there's not much rivalry or competition. Founders inherently understand that success breeds more success.
I'm joined by two of the most qualified people to talk about the Helsinki gaming ecosystem:
Harri Manninen, founding partner of Play Ventures and a board member of every single prominent gaming startup in the city, and Joakim Achren, co-founder of Next Games and a person who has singlehandedly helped more gaming founders than anybody else in the business through the content on Elite Game Developers.

Dec 10, 2020 • 44min
Growth Triggers #2 Fake Ads Post IDFA and When to Build a Brand for Your Game
Triggered growth is a segment focusing on all matters of growth. This podcast is insightful, entertaining, and highly opinionated. We call it how we see it.
Your hosts: Michail Katkoff and Eric Seufert
Hit us up for topics you'd like us to cover and how to improve.

Dec 9, 2020 • 52min
TWIG #112: Genshin Impact = $400M in 2 Months on Mobile, EG7 Acquires Daybreak, Roblox Future in China!!!
Welcome to TWIG #112!
Today we cover:
#1. Sensor Tower: Genshin Impact brings in nearly $400 million in 2 months on mobile
#2. EG7 acquires Daybreak
#3. The promise and challenge of Roblox Future in China
LINKS:
Check out Joakim's Elite Game Developers website and podcast: https://elitegamedevelopers.com/
Check out Randy Nelson's Interview with Joseph Kim:
- Gaming Trends | A Look Ahead to 2021 (SensorTower's Randy Nelson Interviews JK)
Hosts:
- Joe Kim (@jokim1)
- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)
- Eric Kress (@ekress)
Guest Host:
- Joakim Achren (@joakim_a)
As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!